The Times Have Changed Us
by A Gryphon Soul
Summary: I, Sawako Kuronuma, am now a 20 year old woman living in Washington, U.S.A. I moved from Japan 1 1/2 years ago, when I did not feel entirely happy there. I wanted to make a change on my own. And you know what? I did.
1. Two Years

Hello, people of the internet! c : My name is Angie, and this is one of my many attempted fanfictions. But you know, this story and characters have been stuck in my mind for over a year. xD So I'm just gonna sit on my ass and write this story! XI

So, this obviously a Kimi ni Todoke fanfiction, (I don't own the manga by the way… *sobs*). And I'm going to warn you… Sawako, for a time, will be with someone other than Shouta. o.o I plan for her to eventually get back together with him, though. There won't be much Aya-chan, Chizu-chan, Ryuu, Shouta, ect, for the first few chapters. I plan for the first couple of chapters to be more introductory than anything. After all, I am introducing SEVEN new characters. I tried to make it a bit easier on you guys though, and partially introduced you to each character, who are each different and individuals. I intentionally left out the majority of their personalities mainly so you could gain your own opinion on their behavior on your own, so it's a bit more natural, y'know? : D

Well, I think that's enough of my gibber-gabber, so: I hope you enjoy this story~! *hearts all around~*

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_**The Times Have Changed Us**_

**Prologue: Two Years**

Two years.

Two years ago, on this day, my first romantic relationship ended. Two years ago, was the last time I spoke to him. I had just recently turned 18, so obviously I am now 20. I am currently in the middle of my second year in University. My University is far from him, at least, as far as I know. After all, the last time I saw him was in my home country; in Japan.

America is a nice place. Where I live, it's rainy and cold, but I have access to almost anything. A coffee shop about a block down, a theatre just about a mile away; and also many other things, including my university: the University of Washington. Haha, go Huskies!

Even though I have grown accustomed to my new home, the weather, the environment, the people, the language, the culture… I miss home. A lot. Everything I've grown accustomed to here, I miss there. I want to go home.

But he's there. I don't think I can face him just yet. I don't exactly how I feel; if I'm sad, angry, depressed, confused, I just don't know!

I've tried to move on though. I've made friends here who I hold dear to my heart, they're like the family I never could find. So, because of this, I refer to them as my 'second family'. I even used it to the point to where that's what even they refer to our little group. Why don't I introduce you?

Let's start with the eldest; Fushi Hageshii. Fushi is 31 years old, and just last year graduated from University with a medical degree, I can't exactly remember what kind. He has slightly long, straight brown hair with a tint of red, which he tends to keep in a low ponytail. He is tall, tan and lean, and has quite a handsome face, detailed with a strong jaw and hazel eyes. A few weeks after his graduation, he proposed to his long time girlfriend, Lily, to which she happily replied yes, or so I was told. They married 6 months exactly after the proposal date, are now happily bound together with a child on its way. I suggested the name Tenshi, if the child born is a girl, to which they are considering an option. They're still undecided upon a name if it's a boy.

Next is Fushi's younger brother: Kyodo Hageshii. Kyodo is a good friend of mine. We share a lot of the same classes, especially since we are of the same age (though, I am older only by 4 ½ months). He spent his life as a child prodigy with a few of the stringed instruments (cello is his forte, though he can also play a stand up bass, viola, and violin), foreign languages (English, Japanese, Chinese (mandarin), Russian, German, Spanish, and French), and most other subjects as well. Though, he's always had trouble with history; his mind is so full with music and numbers and theories, he can barely remember his own birth date. Kyodo looks only slightly similar to his brother, with a similar facial structure, hazel eyes, and tan skin. While his brother is quite tall, at about 6 foot 1, Kyodo only comes in to about 5 foot 10, which he doesn't like much at all. Kyodo is also quite advanced in the martial arts, and because of that his physique is quite well built. Also, his hair that covers his left eye is a rare blood red; he says the color is natural, but people still question it.

Yami Kurosaki, is a quiet, 21 year old young man. He reminds me of myself before high school, before meeting… Anyways, he is easily misunderstood because of his tall, dark like appearance. He also is pale with long black hair, covering his right eye. He usually chooses to stay quiet, and never speak unless he thinks it's absolutely necessary. But even though he is like this, he's really just a 6 foot 5 teddy bear. He listens to anything and everything you say, part of it probably being his dislike of talking. Yami is studying the preforming arts here at college, and plays the electric bass, bringing it everywhere with him, unless he's told directly that he may not bring it, under any circumstances. This can obviously bring him into trouble sometimes.

Now, Souru Mastumoto, he is also quiet, though not quiet all the time. I am not too close to him, but he's nice; unless you get him angry. When Souru becomes angry… it's not a pretty sight to really anyone. And, I know what you're thinking! You're thinking of him as being a strong, violent person. Well, he is, but with words, not so much on the physical side. Souru is a scrawny, 23 year old albino. Because of his albinism (and also his height: 5 foot 5), he is often teased, which is the main reason for his sharp tongue. He tends to wear baggy clothes with dull colors, and also wears a pair of frameless glasses. He exceeds in the art of percussion, being able to play a number of percussion instruments, including a piano, though he rarely plays that.

Now, it's time for the man infamous for his loud and flamboyant personality, style (hair, clothe designs, etc.), and voice. He is a man who seeks adventure and fun and happy memories. Any person with a feeling of anything below slightly happy will be bombarded with his jokes and laughs and smiles and "dears". Yuniku Takishima is truly a unique man. He is studying clothes design and beauty (both hair and make up) here at UW, and plays the harp and violin as a side hobby. He dresses in bold and unique type clothing, whether it be spikes on a jacket, bulky and seemingly-heavy boots (so we don't know his actual height), straightened bleached white hair, and even the ice blue eye contacts he wears. Nobody knows his true eye or hair color, because he never confronts us without his contacts or his roots not bleached. We've predicted he'll be bald by at least 30.

And lastly, the S&M Twins. Prior to major belief, the twin's names' don't start with either S or M, rather, those stand for the famous "Sadist" and "Masochist". Other than those traits, they're perfectly 'normal' people. The oldest twin, Ongaku, is the masochist. He also has a thing for trouble and bathes in the consequences, which gave him the reputation of being quite the delinquent. Despite this, he always thinks before he acts, for two reasons: a) so he doesn't get into too much trouble, and b) to see if the action is actually worth the consequence. He, along with his twin brother, can be quite the womanizer. It's a rarity that they date, but when they do, they are 100% loyal and honest, because they will only date if they truly care for their partner. Anyways, Ongaku is the shorter of the twins, coming in at 6 foot 2, and Rakuto (his twin) being 6 foot 3. And if you're wondering whether or not they are identical: the answer is no. Different heights, hair styles, facial structures, eye colors, etcetera. Ongaku has black hair similar to Fushi's, except for his is black and is split through the middle, with his long bangs framing face, and meeting his hair right above the shoulders. He was born without any pigment in his irises, giving them a light violet color, which he loves because of their uniqueness. He also has higher cheek bones and a soft jaw (which he will sometimes seduce unsuspecting men with, while wearing young women's clothing, a wig, and make up; just for the hell of it). While on the other hand, Rakuto (the Sadist) has long, straight black bangs, which cover his left eye, but is short in the back, and occasionally spiked. He has deep, sapphire blue eyes, with thick surrounding black eyelashes. His jaw is strong and his skin smooth as silk (has little facial/body hair). Both twins are well fit, and will sometimes spar with Kyodo. The brotherly bond between the two can be seen by anyone: the way they joke and roughhouse around with one another is their clear way of showing their affection. Ongaku is capable of playing the guitar, though he prefers the orchestral instruments. But Rakuto is an amazing singer and superb guitarist. Both are also quite smart, showing as the sometimes tutor me when I need the help.

I love my second family, I really, really do. But I want to go home, and… I think they know that. Oh, and before I forget… I've been dating Rakuto for about a year now. I love him, but I'm still not sure if I've fallen for him.

I wonder what Kazehaya-kun would say?


	2. The Bacon Has Entered Hell

Heyyyyy, everybody~! I finally finished Chapter 1. Hehe, the title makes me laugh. *smiles* I'm quite proud of that chapter title. : 3

And in this chapter, and maybe even this who story, Sawako will not be exactly the same as in the series, a.k.a., she'll be a bit OOC. Sorry about that. *pouts* But you know, I think even Sawa-chan has a bit of a rough side, just like everyone else. Also, I like to think the guys helped Sawa-chan come almost completely out of her shell, at least around them (mostly Rakuto, obviously). But of course, Shouta, Aya-chan, and Chizu-chan (and even Ryuu, etc.) gave her the first push. So yeah, that's my little rant. Hehe. Enjoy the chapter~!

P.S. I forgot to mention in the first chapter: The twin's last name is Wakano!

_**The Times Have Changed Us**_

**Chapter 1: The Bacon Has Entered Hell**

"Sawa~! It's time to wake up, my dear!" He's much too loud this early in the morning… "Sawa-chan~! Wake up or else…"

"Ugh…" I flipped the pillow to cover my head. "Five more minutes…" Spending so much time with my second family has greatly influenced my 'stubborn and sarcastic level' apparently. I hear a muffled giggle on my right side.

"You know, Sawa-chan, the early bird gets the worm!" I could imagine the smile growing on his face.

"Too bad I dislike worms." It was too early to be polite. Gomen, Yuniku.

"Hmph! Fine then!" He _loudly_ turned around, stomped out of my room, and slammed the door. Oh well, at least I get to sleep in some more! I return my pillow back to its original placing and snuggle further into my comfy bed, when suddenly my door is harshly swung open, pretty much punching the wall beside it (I think the hinges may have broken off), and the sound of an air horn was a clear way off saying 'get-off-your-ass'. This, taking me by surprise, causes me to literally spring from the bed, step on a piece of dirty laundry (I really should pick it up soon…), and slip and fall back onto my bed. The damn air horn is still going.

"FINE! JUST PLEASE STOP WITH THE AIR HORN." And everything is silent. I give a silent sigh of relief and slowly sit up. Typically, I'd rub the sleep from my eyes, but I think the sound waves from the air horn did the job for me. So instead, I look towards the door to see Yuniku with the typical grin on his face.

"Mornin'!" And with that, he swiftly leaves the bedroom entrance and goes down the stairs.

"…Might as well make breakfast." Slowly I stand from my bed, pick up the dirty laundry that had earlier caused me to slip, place it in the laundry bin in the closet, and head down the stairs into the kitchen.

What a way to start the morning.

As I cook the bacon in the kitchen, I can here the guys watching The Sound of Music in the living room. I love this movie.

"So, Do, La, Far, Me, Do Re~. So, Do, La, Ti, Do, Re Do~." I smile at the nostalgia while I sing and dance along with the movie. Perhaps, I was too caught up in the song.

"Uh, Sawako…?" I see Rakuto pop out from the entrance to the kitchen. He looks concerned, I wonder why?

"What is it?" I slightly tilt my head to the side, to enhance my question, for some reason it's become a habit. Wait, that's odd… I smell something strange.

"The bacon has visited Hell." Oh, so that's what the smell is, the bacons burning! Haha… wait, the bacon, is…?

"Oh!" I quickly turn around to grab the handle of the pan and take it off the burner. "And that was the last of the bacon too…" I slightly pout my lips and look down because of the mess I caused. I hope the pan turns out all right…

The feeling of familiar lips to my right temple brings back a slight smile. I look into the blue eyes of my partner as he grabs my waist, pulling my body closer to him whilst smirking at me. "It's alright, Sawako. Why don't we go out to eat? It's been a while since we all went out together. How about the diner by the town library? They always have good breakfast, and bacon that hasn't been burnt." He winks at the last part, and chuckles after seeing my pouting/blushing expression. Even so, I gladly nod my head and give a quick peck on the lips. Better tell the others we're going out!

"Bacon~~~!" Yuniku, Rakuto, and Ongaku all simultaneously cooed as they joyfully munched on their bacon. I glanced at their silly expressions, and then giggled; it was quite hard not too. But it didn't matter much, since they were so caught up in their bacon, they didn't even noticed. So, I just looked back at my plate to see my mango and banana pancakes. Sometimes, I just really, really loved America. I'll probably regret this later… Ah, well whatever. Enjoy the now, and prepare for the future!

"Sawako."

I turned around to look at Rakuto, his blue eyes boring into my brown eyes.

"Yes, Rakuto? What is it?" I smile. "I'm not burning any bacon this time." I giggle at my own little joke. I liked to pull one every now and then.

"You… you miss Japan, don't you?" My body tensed at the question. I had a feeling that they knew, but I had planned to keep quiet. I don't want to bother them with having just a bit of homesickness. "It's been about a year and a half since you've seen your parents and friends in Japan, it's completely understandable, Sawa." He pulls me into a light embrace, my favorite.

"…Yeah." My eyes start to sting. No, no crying! No crying… "I miss home, Rakuto. I… I want to go _home_." I give up. The tears flow from my shuteyes, as I tighten my grip around his neck.

"Good, 'cause we were just offered a pretty solid deal just outside your hometown. They're gonna let us finish our term here, and then we can work with them there and go to one of the surrounding Universities." My arms sprung from his neck in shock and (quite roughly) landed on his firm chest, my wide eyes staring into his squinted-happy ones.

"We… we're going to move to Japan!?" I smiled, I nearly even squealed! Home! I'll get to go home! But then… "But, what about the others?"

"Well, they'll be coming as well, of course!" He beamed as he said this. He really wants to go to Japan.

"But… but do they _want_ to go? I don't want us to accept a deal just because I miss home. I'm sure I could take a short vacation and—" He cut me off with a kiss. His lips are so soft. Yuniku must be making him use that Chap Stick daily.

"Quit being such a pessimist." He winks. Sadistic bastard. "Why don't you call your parents? Tell them you'll be home in a couple of weeks. I'm sure they'll be ecstatic." He smiles gently. Really, sometimes I wonder if has a split personality. But still, I lightly giggle and nod my head in agreement, and push his arms away from my waist and head towards the home phone.

I can't believe it. Soon, I'll be home.

_Home._


End file.
